The bustle of Kyoto today is unimaginable compared to previous years.
Many young people always look down upon hearing old people mention the time when Emperor Yuanzong was alive.
I wonder how it is possible that things are so good, but the current situation should not be worse than it was back then, right?
Before the New Year, many foreign merchant caravans came to Kyoto to do business, making Kyoto even more lively. Just walking on the street, you could see camels with camel bells walking slowly, and foreign merchants in long robes and beautiful clothes selling all kinds of novelties.
Su Wan and Xie Pei seldom go shopping. They usually either stay in the palace or go in and out in a carriage. But this time they felt comfortable walking over here.
It’s just that the population of Kyoto has increased significantly, as if everyone knows that life in Kyoto is better now and they all want to come here to make a living.
This is not impossible, but Kyoto is full of people, and this is just the beginning. It is possible to expand outward in the future. Although it has not happened yet, we must prepare in advance.
When we got near Yongchong Street, there were even more people.
Originally this place was located on the outskirts of the main street and there were tourists, but relatively few.
But many snack shops have appeared here one after another, selling spicy hot pot, stinky tofu, fried skewers, powdered sugar, fried cakes, and rice porridge, basically all of them are opened here.
As time went by, this place became extremely prosperous, and many young ladies in Kyoto would come here to hang out.
In later times, it would be a snack street.
But speaking of it, the water rice may gradually disappear from everyone's sight.
Rice water sounds monotonous, but it tastes different. The fermentation of rice slurry will produce sugar, giving it a sweet and sour taste. A bowl of rice tastes sour and sweet. It is also a way to obtain sugar when sugar is relatively expensive.
Moreover, this thing is cheap and has a wide audience.
However, as real sugar becomes cheaper and cheaper, this method of using fermentation to produce bacteria will probably be gradually abandoned. After all, this thing is difficult to master, and if not done properly it can cause diarrhea.
Besides, it’s not as sweet as sugar.
Therefore, it is normal that water rice is gradually disappearing. These small vendors selling water rice are preparing to sell sugar rice, which is probably a new emerging practice.
Su Wan and Xie Pei were walking on the road, and the guards around them were extremely alert, but now they were all dressed in ordinary clothes, and people around them just thought that they had extraordinary demeanor and were just young masters of wealthy families.
When Su Wan and her friends passed by the stinky tofu shop and the spicy hot pot restaurant, they obviously felt that there were more people there, so they didn't stay there for long. They couldn't be sure if there was anyone inside who knew Xie Pei and themselves.
Su Wan said, "How about we go home first? The house we bought last time is nearby."
She also had the key in her hand, so she could go home and wait for her aunt to come back.
Xie Pei naturally listened to her.
The purpose of the two coming here this time was to meet Aunt Su Wan.
To be honest, Xie Pei was still a little nervous, but the nervousness came and went quickly. After all, it had nothing to do with him whether someone agreed with them or not.
If they want to be together, no one else can influence them.
In fact, they brought Xie Pei out on a whim. They heard that Kyoto was bustling recently, and the two of them had almost finished their current tasks, so they decided to go out of the palace for a walk.
Who knew that the carriage would take them to Yongchong Street, the most prosperous street in Kyoto.
They also said that Yongchong Street was not that lively before, but after a few delicious snack bars opened, many surrounding shops moved there. Moreover, the competition among shops on this street is very fierce, and if the food is not delicious, you will not be able to stay.
If it were just that, it would be fine. Originally, this location was at the end of Yongchong Street and business was not that good. But after these stores came to prominence, this place became the main street, and there are fewer and fewer people on the original main street.
When Su Wan and Xie Pei went to the house, they passed by what was once the busiest place on Yongchong Street, and even passed by a store that Su Wan knew.
Su's store.
The location of his store was originally pretty good, but ever since that side of the street became lively, there are naturally not as many people here, so now the store is not rented out and he is still running his own store.
The Su family's dim sum is average, but they are very good at using baking soda. I heard that after the new daughter-in-law came, she took control and ran the business herself, so Master Su and the eldest son of the Su family only made dim sum in the back, and the prices were much more reasonable. So now this store can be considered to make a living, but if you have a lot of money, I'm afraid it's impossible.
Su Wan didn't look at them much when they passed by. The Su family couldn't cause any waves. Even if they knew about her and Xie Pei, could they still get involved?
If he really came out to disgust others, Xie Pei's reign as emperor would be in vain.
Su Wan and Xie Pei soon arrived near the house. The house was bought only a few months ago, but it had been cleaned very clean inside and out. The Wei family's house was next door. It was heard that Wei Jun was going to spend money to buy another house and let his master move to live nearby so that he could be better taken care of.
Originally, she thought that no one was at home and the owners of the two houses were working in the store, so Su Wan took out the key and prepared to open the door.
But when I looked up, I found that the door was not locked. The next moment, someone opened the door from the inside, pushing a cart with a lot of tofu and ingredients on it, which looked very heavy.
Su Wan subconsciously took a step back, and Xie Pei caught her. They both looked over at the same time and saw that the man pushing the cart was about thirty years old, a farmer, with a haggard and thin face, but his clothes were newly made.
Not to mention Su Wan, even Xie Pei could tell that the dress was made by Aunt Su Wan.
He had stolen a lot of purses before, so with his keen eyesight he could naturally recognize it.
The farmer was also startled when he saw Su Wan and the others. If the guards had not held the cart in his hand in time, it would have almost overturned.
When the farmer saw Su Wan, he was obviously a little guilty and asked, "Are you Miss Su Wan?"
Su Wan nodded and became curious. Xie Pei had already sent someone to find out what was going on.
"I'm a helper in the store. I'll deliver something over now." The man said quickly. He looked very honest, but a little embarrassed at the same time. The look he gave Su Wan was full of guilt and deep shame.
Su Wan and Xie Pei, who were both very comfortable in the court, could not tell that there was something wrong with his expression.
Even the guards and palace maids around him could see it.
Su Wan nodded again and didn't say anything more, just made way for him to leave.
When they sat in the living room of the house, Su Wan looked at Xie Pei, and Xie Pei looked at Su Wan again, and said, "I have asked someone to check it out."
"It doesn't matter whether we check or not. Auntie will definitely come back soon." Su Wan hesitated. "Is that what I think?"
"Almost." Xie Pei said vaguely.
Sure enough, before the two of them sat down for too long, Aunt Su Wan had already rushed back, even faster than the people Xie Pei sent out.
But the real owner is back, so it doesn’t matter whether we investigate or not.
However, when Aunt Su Wan looked at Su Wan and then at the people she brought with her, her expression became even more remorseful.
The daughter came back with someone and happened to see this scene?
Will she bring trouble to her daughter? After all, this matter is not pleasant no matter how you look at it.
Su Wan first comforted her: "Why are you back, Auntie? I told you to come back when you are not busy."
Hearing that they were not going to mention what had just happened, Gui Niang felt less uneasy, but she was not someone who could hide things.
Xie Pei nodded to Aunt Su Wan and took the initiative to avoid them: "I'll go out and buy some things and come back later."
Su Wan nodded and asked Wenqin and others to leave as well.
For a while, Su Wan and Gui Niang were the only ones left in the house.
Su Wan looked at her aunt, who was only forty years old this year. Although she could be a grandmother in ancient times, she was only middle-aged in her time and space, so there were still many possibilities.
Even if what happened today happened, it would at most be a little embarrassing, not so disturbing.
After the others left, Gui Niang looked at the door and asked anxiously, "Is that young man the guard you mentioned? And his men? If they see this, will it affect you?"
Su Wan was stunned for a moment, then she realized that it was this matter that her aunt cared about, and she thought Xie Pei was a guard last time, so she smiled and said, "Don't worry about him, why would he care about these things."
The royal family has experienced all kinds of storms, and when you think about it, neither of them is someone who cares much about reputation in the traditional sense.
It is so difficult to find such a person in this world, so difficult that she is willing to show her true heart to him.
However, if it weren't for her aunt's words, Su Wan would not have realized this.
Seeing this, Gui Niang finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although her attention had just been on her daughter, she also noticed the outstanding young man.
It would be bad if my daughter's marriage was delayed because of my own affairs.
After calming down, Gui Niang talked about the reason why the farmer was here. It was really difficult for her to speak when she talked about it. Fortunately, the person in front of her was her daughter, and she was a daughter who was very different from before.
The story began in October, when news of a great victory at the border came, and Kyoto became more lively. There were also news about the method of extracting vegetable oil, etc., and Kyoto suddenly became crowded.
One reason is that there is a lot of work to do in Kyoto now, and the other is that it is too unstable. Everyone can actually feel whether it is safe or not.
This middle-aged man named Jiao Yong came to Kyoto in this way. He looked honest and was an ordinary person who came to Kyoto to make a living.
After arriving in Kyoto, it was easy to find work. He could do all kinds of carrying and moving work. Although they were all temporary jobs, at least he could save some money if he was frugal.
I stayed in Kyoto for more than ten days. When I was moving the ingredients to Yongchong Street, I happened to be working in a store near Gui Niang.
Gui Niang, also known as Meng Gui, recognized Jiao Yong the first time she saw him.
At that time, I was a little bit unbelieving, because the last time I saw Jiao Yong was eighteen years ago, but Meng Gui subconsciously called him.
It took Jiao Yong a while to recognize the person in front of him. It was his ex-fiancée. They hadn't seen each other for a long time. She seemed different from before, and he himself was different too. But he looked more vicissitudes of life, while Gui Niang was prettier.
Even if they were not an engaged couple, they were still cousins, so they naturally found a teahouse to chat.
Their marriage was somewhat sad. Although Gui Niang grew up in Su Zheng's wife's family, she was still taken care of by her relatives. Moreover, because Gui Niang did a good job, Su Zheng's wife's family also said that she could be released when she reached a certain age.
Because of these two relationships, distant relatives also helped to arrange a marriage, that is, between Gui Niang and Jiao Yong. Jiao Yong's family had a few acres of land, and marrying a maid from a good family was a good match for them.
At that time, Jiao Yong was seventeen and Gui Niang was sixteen. It would only be three or four years before they should be released.
However, Jiao Yong was waiting outside, while Gui Niang was unable to leave the house, and in the end, she was asked to go along as a dowry.
When Gui Niang was about to follow Su Zhengqi in dowry, Jiao Yong's parents were already somewhat reluctant. They had already been waiting for Gui Niang for four years, and who knew how long they would have to wait for this dowry.
But Jiao Yong insisted on waiting, saying that it would probably take a year for Su's wife to get married, and when things at home were settled, Gui Niang would come out.
Although the two of them haven't had much contact in the past few years, they both feel that there is hope, so Jiao Yong still wants to wait.
Su Zheng’s wife also promised the same thing at that time, just wait for a year.
Who knew that this wait would last another two years.
What he waited for was indeed the news that Gui Niang was taken as a concubine by the Su family.
At that time, Jiao Yong was already 23 years old, which was considered an older youth in Tianxiang Kingdom. The Jiao family was unaware of Gui Niang's situation and hated her for trying to get rich, so they never had any contact with her again.
The relative who introduced her to someone else also thought that Gui Niang was not a good person. If she didn't want to leave the house, she should have said so earlier. Why waste her time?
From then on, Gui Niang had no relatives or friends to take care of her, and she stayed in the Su family forever.
Jiao Yong wanted to come and look for her, but he heard that Gui Niang had already been taken away as a concubine, so it would not be appropriate to meet her.
He didn't say anything, and asked his parents not to mention it. Then he got married and had children. It has been almost eighteen years.
The two sat at a roadside tea stall and talked about the past, with tears in their eyes.
When we talked about Jiao Yong's family, we learned that his parents had passed away one after another, and his wife also passed away.
At that time, he was too old and did not have a particularly wealthy family, so only women who had been in poor health since childhood were willing to marry him.
The two lived happily together for two years after they got married, but his wife's health gradually deteriorated. Jiao Yong sold his family property to treat her illness, but it was not effective. She passed away four years ago.
At that time, in order to treat his wife's illness, he not only sold his property but also became heavily in debt. Now, after four years, he has only paid back half of the debt.
This time I came to Kyoto to work because I heard that there was a lot of work and more money to be made in Kyoto, and I wanted to quickly pay off the medical expenses of my deceased wife.
I didn't expect to meet Meng Gui.
After hearing Meng Gui's story, Jiao Yong was only happy for her: "You have a good daughter who has done a lot for you."
But as Meng Gui looked at Jiao Yong, he understood the saying that a hemp rope breaks at the thinnest part and misfortune only finds the unfortunate.
She had her own reasons for what happened back then, but it did delay Jiao Yong. She even sent the money she had saved to the Jiao family, but Jiao Yong returned it, saying that she also needed money.
The two have had no contact since then.
Meng Gui did feel guilty. If it weren’t for her, what happened later might not have happened.
Jiao Yong smiled when he heard this: "What does it have to do with you? It's not that you deliberately stayed in the Su family. I chose her to get married. She is a very good person. I also chose to go into debt for medical treatment."
Jiao Yong didn't talk much, and it was difficult for him to talk about these things with others in the past. But now he even drank the tea until it had no taste, which showed how much he had said.
He even felt that he felt better after saying everything he hadn't said in the past few years.
"I don't know why, but I let him stay in the store as an assistant. Our store is indeed very busy, and he doesn't live here. He just came here to move things. He usually lives behind the store." Aunt explained quickly.
If I didn't have those experiences, I would just be helping my fellow villager find a job.
But those experiences did exist. It was okay when they were alone, but when facing Su Wan, the aunt always felt embarrassed.
After listening to this, Su Wan could only sigh that both of them were miserable people.
If the Su family had not done evil, the two of them should have lived a good life. They were both hardworking and kind people, and their lives would have been good.
But the past is over, and we still have to look forward.
Su Wan knew that she couldn't talk too much. Her aunt just said these words, and she felt a little confused. If she talked about anything more in depth, she would feel very conflicted and unable to accept the education she received since childhood.
So Su Wan just said: "That's good, we can help more in the future."
"If later."
"That's nothing."
What Su Wan said was really obscure. It was not until Su Wan went to cook that Gui Niang understood what she meant.
But I have never thought about it, or rather, I have never dared to think about it.
After the two of them finished their meal, Su Wan saw that her aunt had regained some of her spirits, and then she said, "Aunt, I support whatever you do. Besides, this kind of thing will happen often in the future. You are still a free person now, so you can do whatever you want."
This time it was more straightforward.
But with the previous preparation, Gui Niang hesitated for a moment and nodded slightly.
However, Su Wan did not just listen to what her aunt said. When Xie Pei came to pick her up, she also told her roughly what he had inquired about.
Jiao Yong really didn't lie, he really did owe the debt for his deceased wife. To be honest, the death of his parents was related to the evil Buddha. For some reason, he believed in those religions and even gave his daughter-in-law who was in poor health incense ash water to drink. In the end, he was stopped by Jiao Yong, but the two of them also moved out of the house.
His parents became obsessed with the belief and refused to eat or drink. When Jiao Yong arrived, they refused to eat no matter how much they were persuaded.
Their ending is predictable.
A few years ago, Xie Pei and Kong Zhang Sheren investigated this matter thoroughly and demolished countless Buddhist temples, including this one that was harmful to people. I heard that Jiao Yong also went to help during the demolition, and he must have hated it very much.
He had a hard life, and it was only in the last one or two years that he got through it. Now he has paid off a lot of his foreign debts, but his land had been sold, so he had to work everywhere. He came to Kyoto because he heard that life was better there, so he came here to work with his fellow villagers.
Fortunately, everything is fine.
Coming here and seeing Gui Niang again was not intentional, it was indeed a coincidence, so Su Wan felt relieved.
"It's okay as long as he didn't mean it. I'm just worried that he is scheming and is using these words to deceive people." As soon as Su Wan finished speaking, she met Xie Pei's eyes.
Xie Pei asked knowingly, "Don't you like it on purpose?"
“But I seem to have done it on purpose.”
Ever since Su Wan confessed her love on the carriage during the last winter festival, this guy has been going more and more outrageous!
This time I even tried to meet the parents!
It's because of this matter that it was delayed, otherwise it might have been accomplished.
Su Wan didn't respond, she just said, "If it's serious, then I'm very happy that Auntie can meet him again, but we have to observe for a while before we can say anything."
Xie Pei naturally had no objection and said, "I have sent people to his hometown to inquire about what kind of person he is. This way we can always find out."
"Okay, be sure to ask more questions."
Xie Pei would definitely ask more questions. This person was going to have frequent contact with Su Wan, so there couldn't be any mistakes.
Besides, there are more important things to do after the New Year.
After waiting for so many years, some things can finally be officially started.
Isn’t this the reason why I went to see Aunt Su Wan this time?
Xie Pei's eyes were getting hotter and hotter. Even though it was winter, Su Wan subconsciously wanted to move away.
The closer it got to Su Wan leaving the palace, the more Xie Pei became clingy, fearing that Su Wan would leave if she was unhappy.
I just feel that Su Wan is indeed capable of doing such a thing.
But I didn’t meet Cheng’s parents this time, but I will definitely see them again next time.
On the twenty-ninth day of the lunar year, when Su Wan comes out of the palace to celebrate the festival, Xie Pei will definitely follow her.
According to him, since there was no one to accompany him in the palace, he might as well follow her out.
This time when I brought Xie Pei home, I naturally told my aunt in advance, and the house had prepared food waiting for me when I got back.
In fact, despite the turmoil in the court, even in Kyoto, a lot of news is difficult to spread to the market, or if it spreads to the market, it has already been distorted.
For example, when chatting, the aunt would also say that the current emperor seemed to be going to marry a palace maid queen, but she didn't know that the two people laughing in front of her were the current emperor and the other one was the palace maid.
But the aunt was not a gossipy person after all, and she would not say much about the man her daughter brought back, so the matter was forgotten.
In fact, according to the ancient rules of three matchmakers and six engagements, and matchmakers coming to the door, it is definitely against the rules for a woman to bring a man home.
But Su Wan is different after all. She has been in the palace for nearly six years and will be eighteen years old after the New Year. For most people in Tianxiang Kingdom, they would have children within two years of marriage.
So the aunt was anxious before, but she was relieved when she knew that her daughter had a good relationship with the palace guards.
Last time I thought this guard was handsome and had an extraordinary demeanor. After this meal, I can only say that the more the mother-in-law looks at her son-in-law, the more she likes him.
Xie Pei is cold to others but naturally polite to Aunt Su Wan. Su Wan knows best when he is deliberately acting nice.
So under Xie Pei's guidance, the aunt asked: "What are your plans for the future? Wanwan will leave the palace in May and will be a formal female official in the future."
Hearing the name Wanwan, Xie Pei continued very smoothly: "Aunt, I mean to come and propose to Wanwan in May, what do you think?"
May, Wanwan.
Su Wan immediately said, "Isn't it too early?"
"Not early, not at all." Auntie said happily, "What about your parents?"
In the eyes of the aunt, if it weren't for entering the palace, Su Wan should have been married long ago, so it's not too late to propose marriage right after leaving the palace. Even if the wedding is done this year, she will still be a very grown-up girl.
So she felt that there was no time to waste, let alone to start early.
Regardless of whether the aunt's idea was right or wrong, it completely coincided with Xie Pei's thoughts, so she continued, "My parents have long passed away, so I will ask the elders in the clan to propose marriage. Three letters and six ceremonies, nothing will be missing. If possible, someone will come to discuss this matter after the New Year."
"Okay, that's good." Auntie took Su Wan's hand, "That's really good."
Being able to talk about this, it goes without saying that my aunt is very happy.
Xie Pei looked at Su Wan, who almost rolled her eyes, and smiled: "Wan Wan, what do you think?"
Su Wan said with a smile: "Now you know to ask me?"
When Su Wan nodded, Gui Niang was obviously even happier.
She never dreamed that such a day would come, let alone that her daughter would have such a good home.
She has been doing business for several years. She talks and dresses like that. She has no father or mother, so she is nice to Wanwan.
Is there really such a God-given marriage?
She would wake up smiling because of Wanwan in her dreams.
It can be said that this dinner fulfilled the wishes of two people: the aunt wanted to marry Su Wan off, and Xie Pei wanted to take Su Wan home.
In this way, how could it not go smoothly?
Su Wan wanted to laugh when she saw Xie Pei's serious expression. She didn't know how long he had been planning this scene.
But she also felt that there would never be another Xie Pei in the world.
There is no one else in this world who can understand her and believe in her.
When Xie Pei was fourteen or fifteen, she naturally didn't believe it when he said he liked her. But a love that is absolutely passionate can still melt even a piece of ice.
But she is not ice. She is living in this era, but is moved by the most special person of this era.
It seems that there would be no problem if I spent my whole life with someone like this.
Otherwise, would today's dinner be possible?
Su Wan and Xie Pei were drinking tea in the side hall. They didn't have to go back to the palace for the New Year. According to Xie Pei's idea, he would have dinner here on the 29th, go back to the palace to rest at night, and come back tomorrow.
Anyway, Aunt Su Wan has said it, and there are no other relatives in his family, so it would be better for them to celebrate the New Year together.
There was joy in the aunt's eyes, and Jing Ju next to her was also happy for them. The two of them talked as they walked back.
But the aunt looked at Jing Ju and said, "If that's the case, then it's double happiness. I know you have a good relationship with the waiter in the shop next door, right?"
Jing Ju didn't expect to be asked this question suddenly.
She did have a good relationship with the waiter in the shop next door. In fact, she knew her own personality very well. She was not a person with a good temper, but the waiter was very naive and said that she had a strong personality and was a good housekeeper.
So Jing Ju also thought about asking for mercy or redeeming himself.
I just didn't expect my aunt to bring it up on her own initiative.
Jing Ju kowtowed three times to Gui Niang, and then bowed several times in the direction of Su Wan.
She knew that neither Gui Niang nor Miss Su Wan would like this, but this was the only way she could express her gratitude.
She had been very mean to Gui Niang and was very resentful of her.
First, she was bribed by Miss Su Wan with money, and then she found a job for her. From then on, she could save money and work with Gui Niang. No matter what, she had to admit that there was no better master than this.
Therefore, anything about opening a shop in the future must be kept a secret, both for myself and for Gui Niang.
In fact, when her indenture was obtained by Gui Niang, Jing Ju felt relieved, because she was not one of the Su family's people, and no one would detain her and not let her leave. She would be like the doorman of the Su family, who had been sold to make up for the deficit.
She had just returned from Laixi Mountain at that time, and she was extremely grateful that she had followed the right master.
Now that Gui Niang knew about her affair with the waiter in the shop next door, she took the initiative to release her indentureship to him. How could she not be moved?
Gui Niang smiled and helped her up, with tears in her eyes: "I didn't expect you to go through what I went through. You still have to work in the store in the future, so don't be so polite."
Gui Niang had never thought about this before, but Wan Wan said it was okay, so she had some courage. It wasn't for her to do anything, but just to think about whether it would be different if she married Jiao Yong.
Therefore, the matter of releasing Jing Ju was put on the agenda early on.
When the two went back to pack up the things Xie Pei brought, Jing Ju saw a few pieces of men's fabric in it. The fabric was not good, and was definitely not as good as the one given to Gui Niang, but it was indeed suitable for middle-aged men.
Could it be that these things were prepared by Wanwan’s fiancé?
Wanwan didn’t mind, and she even convinced her fiancé that he didn’t mind either?
Jing Ju was almost inseparable from Gui Niang, so she naturally knew about this matter and could not help but boldly said, "Gui Niang, you are also a free person now, and you have a daughter who is a female official and a future son-in-law who is an official. What are you afraid of?"
“It seems okay to start over.”
"Anyway, Miss Su Wan's attitude is very clear."
Neither of them was a recluse, but had done business and entertained countless guests.
I feel a little different at this moment.
Finally, Gui Niang said, "Call him over for dinner tonight. It's not easy for him to go to his fellow villagers' homes when he's alone in Kyoto. His fellow villagers all have families at home, and those without families have gone back to celebrate the New Year."
Jiao Yong was the only one who didn't have any close family members, and he spent the New Year alone in Kyoto.
Such a day is a luxury not only for Jing Ju, but also for Gui Niang.
After Jing Ju left, Gui Niang felt much more at ease when she saw Wan Wan's fiancé's men standing next to the side hall.
She knew very well that all these luxuries were because of Wanwan, and because of the path Wanwan had taken to get out of the palace.
Not to mention helping on this road, I'm even hindering it.
But she still led everyone out of trouble with a smile, and in a way that everyone could accept.
In fact, sometimes Gui Niang also wondered whether this was her daughter.
The appearance and voice are the same, but there are also some differences. But after thinking about it, I can't find a good explanation. I can only say that he learned it in the palace?
She must have suffered a lot then.
There was both joy and distress in Gui Niang's eyes.
But everything will be fine, it will pass.
On the other side, Su Wan and Xie Pei were playing chess.
The two of them knew very well how the other played chess, so they played very quickly. Only towards the end did their movements slow down, and time seemed to slow down as well.
It has been several Spring Festivals since he felt so relaxed. All Xie Pei has to think about is how to propose marriage after the New Year and how to deal with the civil and military officials.
After all, it is one thing for everyone to know it, and it is another thing to actually say it out loud. It is impossible to have no objections, and it may even be a bit scary.
So Su Wan suggested not to be too tough, since they knew they couldn't stop it anyway.
Xie Pei laughed: "They should all thank you for opposing this."
If it weren't for Su Wan, he wouldn't bother with all this.
He had never had fame since he was born, and it doesn't matter whether he has it now or not.
Su Wan corrected him: "You didn't decide your reputation when you were born. It has nothing to do with you. But your reputation in the future will be related to you. When the time comes, the history books will definitely praise you as a wise ruler."
"My wise monarch, what about you? A wise queen, or an empty-handed attendant?" Xie Pei teased.
"It's all right. I don't mind anyway." Su Wan really didn't mind.
Speaking of the identity of Kongzhang Sheren, Xie Pei also thought about making it public at an appropriate time.
He fabricated this identity in the beginning in order to protect Su Wan who came up with the idea. At that time, Xie Pei was only the crown prince and his position was unstable. Exposing Su Wan would undoubtedly put her in danger, so Xie Pei naturally refused.
The second is to prepare for the future.
Kong Zhang Sheren's name is too famous. As long as it is mentioned, no one will object to him marrying Su Wan.
After all, everyone in the court and the country, and all the barbarians from all directions, knew about Kongzhang Sheren's intelligence and talent. He said at the beginning that the person he wanted to marry must have extraordinary talent in managing the world and have the character of a green phoenix tree and a tall bamboo.
Kong Zhang Sheren meets all the requirements.
But before he could reveal this identity, Wanwan had already gained everyone's recognition with her identity as a female official, although there was also the issue of Kong Zhang Sheren.
But in the eyes of most people in the court, she is still different. Everyone has to admit that she has farsightedness.
Otherwise, why are every household forcing their daughters to study and wait for the imperial examination next year?
It’s because I saw Su Wan.
It’s a pity that they can’t learn Wanwan’s intelligence.
There is only one Su Wan in this world.
So it doesn’t matter whether Kong Zhang Sheren’s identity is revealed or not.
There are advantages to revealing something, and there are advantages to not revealing something.
Su Wan meant: "Forget about it. Even if we vote in the future, we still have one more vote. The more mysterious this identity is, the more useful it is."
"But all these praises and honors should be yours." Xie Pei said, "It's unfair to you."
"Don't you think this matter of fairness will work? Never mind. We'll talk about it later." Su Wan put down the chess piece and urged Xie Pei to move quickly.
She is not in a hurry, so why should Xie Pei be in a hurry?
Although it will be revealed sooner or later, it will be better to reveal it later.
In fact, it’s not just Xie Peiji who is anxious.
Many people are also speculating about who Kongzhang Sheren is, such as Huangzhuang, who developed a method of extracting vegetable oil based on Kongzhang Sheren's prescription.
This Zhuangzi is being studied together with many other Zhuangzis. Whoever figures it out first will be able to manage this business.
Those who came later were also able to operate, but they were not as good as them in seizing the opportunity first.
It was fine at first, but when you see the oily vegetable oil separating, who wouldn’t think it’s a miracle?
According to their calculations, if this thing is popularized, the people of the entire Tianxiang Kingdom will benefit, and generations to come will benefit as well.
The meals will be more delicious in the future.
It is no exaggeration to say that this achievement will be passed down through the generations.
The more they knew about the benefits of this thing, the more the people in the imperial farm wanted to know who Kongzhang Sheren was.
Even when New Year gifts were sent to the palace as usual, this matter was briefly mentioned in the memorial of greeting.
I would like to ask Your Majesty if I could request a meeting with Mr. Kongzhang so that I can express my gratitude in person.
Xie Pei, who had just returned from Chinese New Year on New Year's Day, saw these memorials and had to put them aside.
Wanwan didn't want to be exposed, and he didn't say much, but when he saw the memorials praising Wanwan, he was obviously in a good mood. He treated the officials who came to pay New Year's greetings better, which made many ministers flattered.
I have been in Tianwan for four years, and it feels better every year.
Yes, this is another compliment to Wanwan.
Xie Pei discovered that as long as things were related to Wanwan, they would become easier.
After the New Year, the court became busy again, and the Ministry of Revenue was waiting to send people to various parts of Tianxiang Kingdom to promote oil pressing technology.
The Ministry of Rites was busy with this year's imperial examinations, and there were two different types of imperial examinations. In order to be fair, they also invited the highest-ranking female official of the fourth rank, the head of the Shangshi Division, to be the chief examiner.
Many people said that if the women's imperial examination went well this time, the chief of the Imperial Food Department would probably be officially assigned to the Ministry of Rites headquarters, which would be an unprecedented event.
Therefore, the superiors also pay special attention to the scientific examination.
Su Wan was naturally also on the list of invigilators. Speaking of it, the court officials' promotion of women's imperial examinations also had a lot to do with her.
However, the Ministry of Rites still found time to arrange the third princess's wedding in a decent manner, which added a bit of joy to the post-New Year period.
Then it was Su Wan's eighteenth birthday. For this birthday, Xie Pei directly had a small banquet set up in the Palace of Heavenly Purity. Although it was for the two of them, his attitude was so obvious that it was impossible to pretend not to see it.
When Su Wan went to eat, she saw a not-so-pretty cake on the table.
Su Wan had made a cake for someone on her previous birthday, but she didn't expect Xie Pei to remember it and prepare this in advance for her birthday, and she made it herself.
After all, it doesn’t look very good, so it’s Xie Pei’s own work.
While eating, Xie Pei said, "Actually, the last time I saw you making a cake for Yu Shu, whose birthday it was, I realized when I was exposed."
When we say exposed, we naturally mean the exposure of one's identity.
Even earlier than you might think, as evidenced by the cheesecake I had when I was fourteen.
Su Wan tried to play dumb: "It's just a coincidence."
But when he finished speaking, he didn't believe it himself.
I did know Xie Pei's identity at that time, but I didn't expect it would be mentioned again a few years later.
But now looking at the cake made by Xie Pei, although the shape is a bit strange, it is obviously made with care.
This small dinner was fine for the two of them, but the discussion about this matter outside never stopped.
Your Majesty, do you really want to marry that palace maid?
No, she is a female official now.
It’s incredible no matter how I think about it.
What was even more incredible was that the person assigned by the Ministry of Rites to host Princess An's wedding had not yet returned when His Majesty assigned him another task.
Prepare in advance. The imperial examination will end around mid-April, which is also May. A group of palace maids will be released from the palace, including Su Wan.
I will propose marriage when the time comes.
etc?
Proposing marriage in May this year?
Su Wan just left the palace, and you want to bring her back?
Let’s not talk about this for now. Our Ministry of Rites is going to be extremely busy this year!
Two marriages and the imperial examination, it makes me tired just thinking about it!
But of course we have to obey His Majesty's orders. Fortunately, this matter does not need to be made public before the imperial examination is over, so we can just prepare for it privately.
They can already imagine how busy it will be!
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